Spudding device for well-boring machines.



G. P. RIGGS.

SPUDDING DEVICE FOR WELL BORING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1910.

1,006,794, Patented 0011.24, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES.

. 1 ear epfi'y 6 WW I 1 y 9 ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAI'H cu.. WASHINGTON. 1). c4

G. P. BIGGS. SPUDDING DEVIGE FOR WELL BORING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1910.

1,006,794. Patented 0ct.24, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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- ing mast viewed from the side of the ma imTTsn sTaTns PATENT oTTios.

GEORGE P. RIG-GS, OF ST. MARYS, WEST VIRGINIA.

SPUIDDING- DEVICE FOR WELL-BORING MACHINES.

To alZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. RIGGS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Marys, in the county of Pleasants and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Spudding .Device for Vell- Boring Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide a boring bit reciprocating device having an amplified stroke, and mechanism for operating the same; to provide means for reducing the rotation of the lifting sheave and the travel of the drill rope thereon, without diminishing the stroke "thereof; to provide a light and durable standing rigging for well boring; and to provide an extensible rigging for boring operations of the character herein set forth.

One embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a well boring machine constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention; Fig.

2 is a side elevation of the motor truck showing the jerk line as stationarily held thereon; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale and partly in section, of the top I of the lifting mast viewed from the rear of the plant, and Fig. 4c is a fragmentary view Q on an enlarged scale, of the top of the liftchine.

Spudding is the name applied to the first part of the operation of well boring. ing the first 150 or 200 feet of the boring it .is necessary to provide some form of flexible reciprocating attachment for the drill. Usu- I ally this has been accomplished by providing a portable machine having a hoisting drum whereof the spudding line is connected with the top of the drill and reeved over a pulley in the upper structure of a derrick, or if a portable mast be used, in the upper end of the said mast. The reciprocations of the jerk line are necessarily rapid in both the hoisting and dropping movements. This obviously produces a considerable wear on that portion of the line in immediate contact with the pulley, and further, the rapid running and'reversing ofthe pulley. itself within its own bearings has a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1, 1910.

Durf Patented Got. 24, 1911.

Serial No. 541,264.

tendency to run the bearing dry and become a hot. The immediate objection to this form of operation has been that the spudding line is rapidly worn and breaks, necessitating some form of splicing, causing delay in the operation.

In the present invention I have provided a mast constructed from tubular sections 5 and 6. The lower, or main section 5 is suitably stepped in a foot block 7. The tubular construction of these sections is formed as lightly as consistent with the work to be performed, and it will be understood that the height of the mast may be varied by using a larger or smaller number of the said sections. At the upper end of each of the sections is provided a fixed reinforcing collar 8, 8. The collars 8, 8 may be elongated to form a socket for the joined and movable sections. They have set out from the sides eyelets 9, 9, to which are connected, for each section, guy lines l0, 10. The guy lines 10,

10 are suitably anchored, as by stakes 11, 11, shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Slid' ably mounted in the upper tubular section 6 is a rod 12. A reciprocating bearing is formed for the rod 12 in the upper end of the section 6, and suitable oiling devices, such as an oil cup 13, are provided. Mounted on the upper end of the rod 12 is a bearing block 1 1, between the separated sides whereof is mount-ed a sheave 15. The sheave 15 is provided to carry a hoisting line 16, to which the upper end, or rope socket 17 of the drill is connected. The hoisting line 16'is'wound upon a hoisting drum 18.

It will be understood that in the operation of spudding, the hoisting line 16 is to all intents and purposes anchored on the dru1n 18. The drum in this invention is used merely to pay out the line 16 as required by the descent of the drill, and to hoist the drill sections from the completed well. In the present instance the section of the line 16 extending from the drum 18 to the top of the mast may be said to be inactive. The lift in the present invention necessary for the depended section of the line 16 and the drill connected therewith, is imparted by lifting and dropping the rod 12 andthe sheave l5carried thereby. v To lift the rod 12 the block 14: is provided with'laterally extended bosses 19, 19. Pivotally connected to the bosses l9, and suitably secured thereon, are links'20, 20. The lower ends of the links 20, 20 are provided with a series of perforations 21, 21. The perforations 21, 21 are utilized for securing the links 20,- 20 to rocking beams 22, 22 and for lengthening and shortening the vertical stroke of the line 16 and drill connected therewith. The links 20 are secured to the beams 22 by movable pivot bolts 23. The beams 22 are pivotally mounted upon blocks 24, 24, fixedly mounted upon the mast section 6. For this purpose the blocks 24 are provided with pivot bosses 25, 25, upon which the beams 22, 22 are suitably secured. Each end of the beams 22 is provided with a series of perforations, those on the lifting end of the beams corresponding with the perforations 21, 21 to cotiperate therewith. Perforations 26, 26 are provided at the free end of the beams 22 to receive the upper ends 27, 27 of a bail 28 which is extended between the free ends of the beams 22, 22. It is to the bail 28, and immediately secured upon a wearing block 29, that is attached the jerk line 30. The jerk line 30, when in operation, is connected to the crank pin 31 of a crank 32. The crank 32 is fixedly attached to a shaft 33, forming the fixed axle of a driving pulley 34. The pulley 34 is, by means of a belt 35, operatively connected to a driven pulley 36, connected mediately or immediately to an engine.

When the pulley 34 is rotated the crank 32 causes a reciprocation of the jerk line 30, and through the beams 22 alternately lifts and drops the links 20, 20 and the rod 12 and sheave 15 connected therewith. As stated, the section of the hoisting line 16 extended from the truck 37 to the sheave 15 remains stationary. The depended section,

however, is raised and lowered by the reciprocation of the rod 12 and sheave 15. By thus holding one end of the line 16 and reciprocating the sheave 15 intermediate the ends of the line 16, a movement of the lifting end of the line 16 is imparted thereto equal to twice the movement of the sheave 15. Further, it will be observed that although an increased movement of the lifting section of the line 16 is produced, the

rotation of the sheave 15 corresponds to one half of the travel of the lifting section of the said line 16. In other words, when operating the lift of the drill section 17 in the manner herein set forth a predetermined distance, which, for the sake of illustration we will say is two feet, it is only necessary to lift the sheave one foot, and the rotation on the bearing of said sheave will correspond to the peripheral travel thereof, equaling only one foot. Thus in effect there is here produced a method of diminishing by one half the length of rope traveled over the sheave and the extent of rotation of the sheave upon its bearings. Thus, by means of the present invention, are obviated two of the leading objections to the present old method of spudding.

When, in the drilling of the well, it is desired that the drill, or sections thereof, should be lifted or added to, and when it is desired that the head of the mast should remain fixed, the jerk line 30 is drawn down until a loop 43 pivotally anchored to the frame of the truck 37 may be passed over a hook 44 secured fixedly to the jerk line 30. WVhen this engagement is effected the end of the jerk line is removed from engagement with the crank pin 31, permitting the pulley 34 to be used, rotating the drum 18 to lift, by means of the hoisting line 16, the sections 17 of the drill. Mounted on the side of the mast section 6 by means of a loop bracket 45 is a sheave 46. The sheave 46 is provided to receive a hoisting cable 47, which is used for lifting the debris from the well and forms no part of the present invention except in so far as the mounting of the sheave 46 is concerned.

The ends of the jerk line 30 are provided with metal thills 48 in which they are clamped and bolted, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The thills 48 are provided to receive the frictional wear of rotation of the connected members. The mast sections 5 and 6 are provided with ladder rung extensions 49, 49, the object of which is to permit the operator to attend to the needs of the rigging for the said mast. When raising the tools or accessories used in drilling, the block 52, shown in dotted lines at Fig. 4, is employed. The block 52 is suspended from the top of the mast by the short cable 51, the looped end of which is passed over the bolt 50. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 7 1. A spudding device for well boring machines, comprising a tubular mast, a rod mounted to slide in the upper end of the mast and provided with a bearing at its outer end, a sheave mounted in the bearing, a hoisting device, a cable secured to the hoisting device, passed over the said sheave and carrying a boring tool atits free end, beams pivoted intermediate of their ends on opposite sides of the upper end of the mast, links pivoted to opposite sides of the bearing of the sheave and each adjustably pivoted to 1 one of the said beams, a bail connecting the other ends of the beams, a revoluble shaft mounted on the support of the hoisting device and having a crank arm, and a jerk line having one end secured to the crank 7 a sheave mounted in the bearmg, a cable having one end anchored, passed over the sheave and carrying a boring tool at its other end, beams pivoted to the mast on opposite sides of the same, links pivoted to opposite sides of the bearing of the sheave, and to the said beams, a revoluble shaft provided With a crank arm, and a jerk line having one end secured to the crank arm, and its other end to the said beams.

3. A spudding device for Well boring machines, comprising a mast, a sliding member at theupper end of the mast, a sheave carried by said member, a cable having one end anchored, passed over the sheave and having a boring tool at its other end, beams pivoted to opposite sides of the mast, links pivoted to the beams and to the sheave carrying member, a jerk line secured to the beams, and a crank shaft to the crank of Which the jerk line is secured.

4:. A spudding device for Well boring machines, comprising a mast, a sliding member at the upper end of the mast, a sheave carried by the member, a cable having one end anchored, passed over the sheave and carrying a boring tool at its other end, beams pivoted to the upper part of the mast, links pivoted to the sheave carrying member and adjustably pivoted to the beams, and means for rocking said beams.

5. A spudding device for Well boring machines, comprising a mast, a sliding member at the upper end of the mast, a sheave carried by the member, a hoisting device, a

cable secured to the hoisting device, passed over the sheave and carrying a boring tool at its other end, beams pivoted to the mast, links pivoted to the beam and to the sheave carrying member, a crank arm on a shaft mounted on the support of the hoisting device, a jerk line having one end secured to the beams and its other end detachably secured to the crank arm, the jerk line being provided With a hook adjacent to said end,

and a pivoted loop on the support of the hoisting device and With Which the hook of the jerk line is adapted to engage When the line is detached from the crank arm.

' In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE P. RIGGS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD L. RIGGS, ARTHUR C. RIGGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

